THE MEDITERRANEAN MONOLOGUES

The Mediterranean Monologues are documentary theater. Author Michael Ruf (Wort und Herzschlag) conducts interviews that last several hours, sometimes several days. These interviews are then simply shortened and condensed. Nothing is invented, and the linguistic expression is retained. Literal, literal theater.

Inspired by these interviews, Michael Ruf also wrote song lyrics, which were then musically translated in collaboration with composers. This resulted in "Tons of Water" (composed by Marlène Colle), "We Fall Into Silence" (composed by Torsten Knoll), and "The Memories Always Return" (composed by Peer Kleinschmidt). These songs have been an integral part of the Mediterranean Monologues since December 2021.

The Mediterranean Monologues tell the story of people who take the risky journey across the Mediterranean in the hope of finding safety in Europe – of Libyan coast guards, Italian sea rescue centers, and German authorities who prevent this, and of activists who are doing something to stop the deaths in the Mediterranean.

As volunteers for Alarmphone, these activists convince coast guards to rescue people in distress at sea or learn how to save people from drowning on the Seawatch – in short, they do what is supposedly the most natural thing, but which is anything but natural in 2024: saving human lives!

It's as if the actors are speaking directly to the people in the audience, reaching out to them, and drawing them into a world that will no longer leave the audience cold: entangled, entwined, connected, and interconnected with the protagonists of the Mediterranean Monologues, the audience follows the paths of the stories told in rapt attention.

When the actors whisper, remain silent, cautiously throw a word into the room, occasionally raise their voices, raise their voices demandingly or angrily, and at one point even almost shout, the sounds don't reach the audience in an abstract way; the audience is directly and physically touched by what is being said. When the actress looks at the audience, they are drawn into the action, knowing and believing that it actually happened.

• Duration: 105 minutes (no intermission)
  
• Subtitles in Arabic, English, and French